Electric signal system



T. H. THOMASl ELECTRIC SIGNAL SYSTEM Filed oct, 11, 1927 Oce. 14, 1930.

ATTOIR` EY `'Patented oci. 14, 193e f 'unirse srerssearnnr vorricii ,1yr-THOMAS THOMAS, OF EDGWOOI)T PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE WESTING- HOUSE AIR BRAKE COMPANY, OF WILvERDING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION j QF PENNSYLVANIA ELECTRI SIGNAL SYSTEM p Application filed October 11, 1927. Serial No. 225,478.

This invention relates to signal systems, and more particularly to an electric 'signal system adapted for use on railway trains.

Y A An object of my invention is to provide @a train signal system by the use of which a trainman may signal the engineman from anycar of a train and by which the engineman may cause his reply signalto be trans- ;mitted to the Acar station from which the .IUtrainmans signal originated, and further by which the` engineman ,may, under certain conditions, signal any number of car lstations at which the trainman may desire to receive j the enginemans signal.

.15 lAnother object of my invention is to provide an electric signal vsystem for railway trains, in which7 there is a source of direct current and a signal indicating device on each vehicleof the train, each device being "'adapted7V et 011@ time, t@ tmnsform'the direct current from said source, to alternating current-to operate at least lone other device, and at another time,fbeingoperative by alter- Jnatino current lsupplied from one of the 2.5other of the devices.

These and other objects will appear from the following more detailed'description of f the invention. j A 1n the accompanying drawing, the single "'igure is a diagrammatic view of a train signal system embodying my invention.

According to my invention, the locomotive e or ycontroller car or" a train may be provided with an enginemans switch device 1, a source "ofdirect current such as the generator 2 and a signal. indicating device 3.

The switch device 1 may comprise a casing having a contact member 4i slidably mounted therein, which is adapted to be moved in 'one direction manually, and in the opposite direction by a spring yt3 which is interposed between the member and a plug 6 having screuthreaded engagement with the casing,

which plug'has astop if' adapted to limit the movement of the Contact member in one di rection. 1n order to prevent rotative move ment of the Contact member, a bushing hav-y ing screw-three ded engagement with the casis provided with a pin 8 which engages the contact4 ineinberwithin a slot 9. The

`52 mounted in the casing.

contact member is provided with a contact 10 which extends through. the member and f:

projects slightly beyond the sides thereof. The projecting ends of this Contact are adapted to be moved into contact with contact terminals 11 and 12, the terminal 11 boing connected with the Generator 2 and the terminal 12 being connected with one end of a primary winding or coil 13 oi. the signal indicating" device 3*. theother end of the coil being connected to an interruptor 14 of the device which is normally held in Contact j with a Contact 15 by a spring 15a, which contact 15 is connected with the generator 2.

,This signal device besides comprising a coil 13 and an interruptor 14, also comprises a core or armature 16 and a secondary windiiiT or coil 17, one end of such coil being 4con` nected to ground at 18 and the other end bei ing connected to a train wire 19.

Each car of the train may be'provided with a trainmans switch device 20, a source of electric current such as the battery 21, 4

a signaling indicating device 22 and a jack switch 23.

The trainmans switch device 20 may comrise a casinvcontainino' a slidino' contact member 24 having l an operatingr stem 25 adapted to be operated by a lever 26 having operating arms 27 and 28, each having an operating cord 29 connected therewith,

Mounted on the casing, there are fulcruin turns about the `fulcruinvpin 30 and when the arm 28 is operated, the lever 26 turns pins 30 and 31 which are so disposed that lwhen the arm 2'? is operated the lever 26 about the fulcrum pin 31 and in either case the stem 25 is operated. The contact mem- -ber 24, when moved a predetermined disscrewthreaded engagement with the casing, is provided with a pin 32 which is adapted to engage the member within a slot 33. This vcontact member '24 is provided tact terminals 38 and 39. The terminal 36` is connected to the positive terminal of the batterv 21 and the terminal 37 isconnectedto one end of t-he primary winding or coil Y 40 of the signal device-22, the other .end of ``coilf40 causes the core 50 to be magnetized sol I n n u n reply tothe signal initiated by rhim or asignal initiated by the engineman, he inserts the vfposition.

the coil being connected to the interrupter 41 which is normally held incontact withaVVV contact 42 by a spring 43, which contact 42 is connected to the negative terminal of the battery/21. rIhe contact terminal38 is connected to ground at 44 and the terminal 39 .is connected to one end ot the secondary Vwinding or coil 45 and to a tine 46 oi' the jaclr switch 23, which switch also hasv a tine 47 spaced from the tine 46 and is connected to ground at. 48. A plug 49 is adapted to be inserted between these tines to connect them. "Ihe coils 40 and 45 are `wound upon a core or armature 50. In the third or lowermost position of the contact member 24, the contact-35 connects tlie'contact terminals 38 and I39, and the contact 34 will be below and outoit vcont-act with the Contact terminals36 and` 37.

Assumingv the several parts of the syst-em to be in their normal positions, as shown `inthe drawing, and the trainman desires to signal the engineman, the trainnian pulls the cord 29 until the contact member 24 cornes to rest against the yielding stop 'member 51, at which time the contact 34 will connect the contact terminals 36 and 37, and the contact 35 will connect the terminals 38 and'39. 'Ih-e connecting of the terminals 36 and 37 permits current to iiow from the battery through the coil'40, interrupter 41 and contact 42 ot the signal device 22 and from thence back again to the battery.v Current Lflowing through the that it draws the interrupter to it land out `oi? engagement with the contact 42, thus opening thecircuit andV demagnetizing the core,

50 and permitting the s rino" 43 to move the .Lk C5 2::

40 induces an alternating current in the coil 45, train wire 19, coil 17 ofthe signal device 3 to grounds18, which causes the interruptei 14 to operate to sound a signaltotheengineman. It the trainman desires to receive a plugy 49 between the tines 46 and 47 or the iack switch at each of the car stations where it is desired to receive the enginemans signal, thus connecting one end of the coil-45 of the signal device 22 to ground 48, or ihe desires he may depress the contact member 24 to its third position in which the contact 35 will connect the Contact terminals 38 and 39 thus connecting one end oi the coil 45 ot lclosing .the circuit from the generator 2,

through contact 15, interrupter 14 andcoil 13 of the signal device 3, to the generator, and current iiowing through the coil 13, will induce an alternating current in the coil 17, through train wire 19 and coil 45 of the signaldevice 22 and jack switch 23, to ground 48, or through the traininans switch to ground 44, in the event of the contact niember 24 being in its third position, which causes the signal device 22to operate to sound a. signal tothe trainman. In the present embodiment of the invention the signal indicating devices 3 and 22 are identical in construction and the secondary coils thereof areA connected in series so that when one of these coils supplies alternating current to the other,lthe core of the signal device being supplied with alternating current, will be magnetized and Y `will draw the'V interrupter out of engagement vving the alternating current'is in its circuit opening position there is'a'pause in the alternating current which causes lthe core of the signal device being supplied with alternating current to be demagnetized, so that the interrupter spring thereof will return the interrupter to its normal position, and these operations will continues@ long as the circuit is closed, to sound a signal The cores 1 6 and 50 of the signal devices l 3 and 22, respectively, havey each been shown of inverted U shapewith the primary wind- Ying on one legand the secondary winding on the other leg, but this rhas been done for the purpose ot more clearly illustrating` the invention. In *practice` each of these signal;

devices may have a single core upon .which the primary 'and secondaryr coils may be wound. y

"While one illustrative embodiment of thev l inventionhas been describedA in detail, 'it is not my intention to limit its scope to that embodiinent or otherwise than by the terms ci the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an electric train signal system, the Y, t

indicating device on each vehicle of a train combination with a train wire, of a signal anni" Y devices.

vand operable by alternatng current, a source of direct current, and means included in each signal device for transforming current from said source to alternating current and for supplying said alternating current over said train Wire to at least one of the other of said 2. In a train signal system, the combina 'i tion with an electrically controlled signal indicating device on'one vehicle of a train and connected to ground, of an' electrically controlled signal indicating device on each of the other vehicles of the train and Vcach connected to ground, a source of direct current on each vehicle, an electric circuit on Y each vehicle for supplying direct current to thek local signal device, and a train wire conn necting said devices, any one of said signal devices when supplied with direct current being'operativeto transform said direct current to alternating current and to supply said alternating current to at least one other sig I nal device over said train Wire to operate said other device to effect a signal.

3. In a train signal system, the combination With a 'train Wire connected to ground,

of an electrically controlled signal indicat ing device on each vehicle of the train and connected to said train Wire, of a source ofy direct current on each vehicle, means on each vehicle operative to supply current from one of the sources of direct current to one of the signal devices, and induction means embodied in each signal device adapted When supplied with direct current to supply alternating current over said train Wire to operate at least one of the other of said devices to effect a signal.

4. In a train signal system, the combination With a. train Wire connected to ground, of a signal indicating device on one vehicle ofa train and operable by alternating current flowing throughfsaid train Wire, a signal indicating device on each of the other .vehicles of the train operable by alternating current flowing through said train Wire, means located at one station on each of said other vehicles of thev tra-in under the control of an operator for supplying alternating current to said train Wire for energizing the first mentioned signal device, said means including at least one of the second mentioned signal devices, and means located at the station on the first'mentioned vehicle and under the control of :anoperator for supplying alternating current to said train Wire for energizing at least one of the second mentioned signal devices, the last mentioned means including the rstmentioned signal device.

- 5. In a train signal system, the combina* tion with a signal indicating device on one vehicle of a train, a source of electric current on said vehicle adapted to supply direct current to said device, a train Wire connected to said device and to ground through said device, means whereby direct current supplied to said device Will be transformed into alternating current and supplied to said train Wire, a signal indicating device on each of the other vehicles of the train connected to said train Wire adapted to be operated by the alternating current flowing through said train Wire, and means whereby direct current supplied to at least one of the second mentioned signal indicating devices is adapted to be transformed into alternating currentand supplied to said train Wire to operate the first mentioned signal indicating device.

6. In a train signal system, the combination with a signal indicating device on one vehicle of a train operable by alternating current and a signal indicating device on each of the other vehicles of the train operable by alternating current, eachof said devices being connected to ground, of a source of direct current on each vehicle, manually controlled means for connecting one of the sources of current With at least one of said signal devices, and means included in each signal device for transforming the direct current supplied thereto into alternating current, and a train Wire for conducting said alternating current to at least one of the other of said devices to operate it.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 

